Nothochelone
Encyclopedia
Nothochelone is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the plantain family
containing the single species Nothochelone nemorosa, which is known by the common name woodland beardtongue. Originally described as Penstemon nemorosus, the plant is very similar in appearance to the penstemon
s, but was separated and placed into its own genus on the basis of slight morphological differences, such as winged seeds. Nothochelone is native to western North America from British Columbia
to northern California
, where it grows in mountain forests. It is a perennial herb producing an erect, hairy stem up to a meter tall from a caudex
. The oppositely arranged leaves are lance-shaped to oval, pointed, toothed, and up to 14 centimeters long. The inflorescence
is a panicle
of flowers resembling penstemons, widely tubular with two lobed lips and a hairy staminode
. The flower may exceed 3 centimeters in length and is light to dark pink in color. The fruit is a capsule containing the small winged seeds.
Plantaginaceae
Plantaginaceae Juss. or plantain family, are a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales. The type genus is Plantago L..In older classifications it used to be the only family of the order Plantaginales, but numerous phylogenetic studies, summarized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, have...
containing the single species Nothochelone nemorosa, which is known by the common name woodland beardtongue. Originally described as Penstemon nemorosus, the plant is very similar in appearance to the penstemon
Penstemon
Penstemon , Beard-tongue, is a large genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...
s, but was separated and placed into its own genus on the basis of slight morphological differences, such as winged seeds. Nothochelone is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in mountain forests. It is a perennial herb producing an erect, hairy stem up to a meter tall from a caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
. The oppositely arranged leaves are lance-shaped to oval, pointed, toothed, and up to 14 centimeters long. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
of flowers resembling penstemons, widely tubular with two lobed lips and a hairy staminode
Staminode
In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen. This means that it does not produce pollen. Staminodes are frequently inconspicuous and stamen-like, usually occurring at the inner whorl of the flower, but are also sometimes long enough to protrude from the...
. The flower may exceed 3 centimeters in length and is light to dark pink in color. The fruit is a capsule containing the small winged seeds.